The future is family
by EPICbrows
Summary: So this is some head canon I had before the game was released. Hope is Noels dad and its based on the paradox ending the future is Hope First fic so play as nice as possible, but feel free to be mean too xx


"Noel take care of Hope he is Future" Snow called as he sped way with Sarah in his arms.  
Hope was Stuck fast, frozen to the spot. Snow had just said he would be murdered in a few days. His Assistant, his friend was going to betray them all. Hope didn't know what to do when the Laughing cut through his shock. It was Noel, he was chuckling, Hope looked at him with an inquisitive eyes "Its Ironic isn't it" Noel replied "Your My dad and I'm the the one who has been assigned to protect you. I mean isn't the parents who protect their kids?" Hope smiled then. Yes it was funny and sad at the same time, after all he didn't know his son at all, Hope hadn't even known he existed until 3 years before he decided to travelled to the future. "Noel about that" he said " I know we haven't had lots of time together" understatement Hope thought "but we can take this chance to get to know each other right" Hope tried to smile, but could not dredge one up, on tether hooks waiting for Noel's reaction to his words "yes we can" he paused "but I cant call you dad yet I hope you understand" Hope did after all their relationship had just begun and if what Snow had said was true could be taken away very soon

Noel looked at Hope as he slept at his desk, he was mumbling in his sleep. Noel had been told he does that too, a thing he git from Hope maybe. He filled it away in his mind. He had been doing this since he first discovered he was Hope's son, he was making a mental list of traits he got from each parent, so far he had a good idea, his brashness was Lightnings all the way, but his compassion that was Hope's. He walked out of the office the door swinging shut with a click. Noel was not sure where he was going but his feet seemed to know, as he arrived outside Hope's quarters. He knew it would be unlocked and entered looking around, he found the light switch. Instantly the room was illuminated, bed perfectly made looked as if Hope hadn't slept in it for weeks. His clothes were strewn across the room, it was a mess. Not so perfect then Noel thought it looked like a typical teenagers room except Hope was nearly 30. This made Noel smile as he sat on the edge of the bed, he could see Hope's boomerang hung on the wall, gathering dust. Something caught his eye, an open drawn in the bedside table, Noel could not resist he opened it further and peered in, It was full of letters, letter to Lightning Noel though as he started to read one, then stopped with a blush, they were very personal. Rooting through the rest of the draw he found a photo album, he picked it up, The first was a photo of a man and a woman in their early 20s Noel guessed. The woman was holding a baby, with green expressionate eyes, his dad. Noel felt shivery, as he flicked through the rest there was Hope and Lightning standing on Gran Pulse, smiling like they didn't have the world to change. Hope looked so small compared to her but she didn't care, she was holding his hand in a way that said he is mine back off. Noel was grinning they loved each other so much. Another turn and there was Hope again with his Parents. Noel though dimly I have the same hair colour as his granddad.

"having fun?" said a voice. Noels head snapped up, caught in the act he pushed the the draw shut and cringed. For the first time Noel felt like a naughty child being told off by his dad. He looked tentatively toward the door, Hope was smiling "its ok, im not mad Noel, I was going to show you these anyway" he smiled sitting next to him on the bed, his head drooping. He looks tired Noel thought "i should leave you need you sleep" Hope looked drowsy before but in that moment he focussed "Noel if you have any questions about your family, you heritage, your mother or anything don't hesitate to ask me alright"  
"I wont" Noel said standing up, the paused "What were they like, my grandparents I mean"  
"your grandmother was the sweetest person on cocoon, she had infinite understanding for the world and eternal optimism. She was tough too she fought for what she believed and for her family, her name was Nora" Hope looked sad "and your grandfather was straight laced, a workaholic, he always strived to do what was best for everyone and what he thought to be right, his name was Bartholomew" Hope finished with a yawn "anything else you want to ask?"  
"no, im good for now" Noel left the room feeling a little happier.

Hope layed awake despite his tiredness, for many hours thinking about how to approach Noel, get to know him. Then it struck him, ask him his hobby and do it not matter how bizarre or hard it was, Hope fell asleep with a warm heart.  
"So Noel" Hope asked in what he hoped was a casual voice "what do you do in your spare time, except guard me of course"  
"well to blow of steam in my world I would hunt monsters, does that count?"  
"yes, you know what we should do? go hunt some monsters on pulse, after all they do keep making themselves a nuisance" Noel was stunned, he couldn't picture Hope hunting anything, let or loan the game he usually hauled in "uh you sure your up to that?" asked Noel  
"hey I was fighting Adamatoises when you were still in your mothers womb, I'm an old hand at this" Hope was actually happy this activity was something he could actually do. "sure then when do you want to go?"  
"I have some free space later" Hope replied  
"Mr. Estheim, Go now spend some time with your kid" one of his staff responded. Hope couldn't ever get used to how his colleagues found these things about his personal life. "if you can spare me then fine"  
"yeah we don't need you so go have fun" He turned away with a glint in his eye.  
"well Noel I need to prep a shuttle to take us down to the surface, and I need to fetch my Boomerang" Noel chuckled "Hope you sure you don't want to borrow one of my swords, they would keep you safer" Hope put his hand on his shoulder "you know that smart mouth you get that from your mum, and no I'm happy with my Nue thanks after all it was good enough to save you once" Hope turned away a smile playing on his lips. Noel was grinning all over his face at the memory the first time he had seen his dad.

The shuttle ride was short, Noel passed the time firing questions at Hope like an excited child  
"what is your favourite food? What is your middle name? When did you first know you loved Lightning? What was It like on cocoon?"

Hope fired back his answers as he could see Noel's mind working and it was working, with each answer he was filing away, into the trait cabin of his mind. Upon arriving on the ground Noel felt amazing, happy and weightless, he was running around on the floor again. "slow down you could get hurt" Hope called after him then sighed, if you cant beat them join them. He matched Noels pace easily, bounding beside him. Noel was surprised he was getting out of breath but it didn't seem to affect Hope at all, finally he paused "I need a moment" he grinned up at Hope  
"you shouldn't give in you know, just work through it instead, your mum taught me that, now shhhh I think our game is through those tree's" Hope stated calmly, pointing north.  
They walked quietly, there it was A behemoth that had been destroying the innocent wildlife on pulse, and corrupting the plant life with its blood. Hope was still, waiting for the opportune moment but Noel was leaping ahead, with a new gusto. Hope rolled his eyes and dashed forward to, stopping to pull out his weapon of choice and threw it right at the enemy, he had to admit it himself it looked silly but still, as it sliced through the creatures flesh easily, he smiled. As the creature turned to swipe at him he rolled easily out if the way, how he had missed this the feeling of power and freedom that came from fighting. "Not bad" Noel praised as he sank his blade into its shoulder from behind, and sliced down, the creature managed to kick Noel off him. The creature was howling in pain, as Hope threw his Nue right at its head splitting its skull in two, he stood there for a second in triumph  
Noel was surprised to say the least as he looked at Hope stood there, he seemed to of let go of himself entirely, surviving on instinct he looked primal. Noel filled away this, so his love of the fight was something born from both parents. "are you ok?" Hope turned to ask, his eyes full of concern, and the honest answer was yes he felt great. Hope knelt down, opened his pack and pulled out a cold salve "there for the pain" he said handing it over, Noel took it and pressed it to his stomach as they both sat there. "you win" Noel said "your better at this than me"  
"I had a great teacher" Hope said modestly, then added "your mother, she taught me"  
"really, she did?"  
"yes actually she was training me to kill Snow" Hope laughed  
"I never knew that!" Noel spluttered  
"It was kind of indirectly Snows fault my mum died in the purge"  
"I knew there was a reason I hated that guy" Noel said "always playing hero it just gets you hurt, and hurts the ones you love" Noel sounded heated  
"Noel?, was there someone who abandoned you?" Hope asked softly  
"Caius, he was my teacher he wanted to save everyone and left us all to do accomplish that, with out thinking of the people he was leaving behind" Noel looked down "He is the guy who will destroy cocoon"  
Hope already knew this, but didn't point it out instead he placed his hand on Noels shoulder "im not ever going to leave you Noel, I want you to know that"  
Hope stood up "well we had better be going" Hope thought this was a successful bonding trip.

Noel looked out the window he would never get used to the beauty of Academia or the fact his dad had helped build it. He had Too much to think about, he had watched Hope work, as he guarded him and couldn't help wanting to know him. Hope was like that you took an Instant liking to him, but Noel was sure there was more. He actually felt like he could count on him, like he was becoming family, a real family and not the substitute he had once known. Days turned to months and no assassins had tried to murder Hope, Noel relaxed and started to think he had finally found his future with his dad, who was working on bring back his mum, they could be a real family again. Hope was planning to travel forward in time again and asked Noel to go with him to meet his mother Noel could not help but agree to his request "sure Hope I would love to"  
Hope looked away, he thought after all this time Noel would have been calling him dad, one step at a time Hope thought "Noel do you want to see the inside of new cocoon? We would be the first to view it"  
"yeah ok sounds fun" Noel followed Hope up the gangplank, that's when it happened. A sound like air being torn in two at great speed, Red blossomed from Hope's chest "oh" was all Hope could say as he sank to the floor. Noel looked around for the sniper knowing they would be far away. As he called over and over "I'm sorry dad I could not protect you dad"  
Every thing was slow motion Hope though like in the movies, one moment he was walking then falling slowly to the floor, he felt like he was floating on waves, there should be pain shouldn't there? He could hear a insistent calling like a bird in his mind. He couldn't hear the words though as he rose out of the water, standing there on the shore if Valhalla was Lightning she was smiling "welcome back to me Hope" she held out her hand, Hope knew in that moment if he he took it, the calling would fade away, He focused snapping back an instant "dad, please dad come back please dad" water was dripping on him. Tears, Noel was crying. He only had seconds he looked at Noel "you called me dad" Hope smiled, and in that moment Hopes hand touched Lightnings on the other side and he was gone from Noels life forever.


End file.
